Hi! My name is Elise Moore. I am from Anchorage, Alaska and I am studying Public Health at American University. I am currently exploring filming and photography and hope to use it in conjunction with my major. I love playing and listening to music. I am a clarinetist who enjoys listening to jazz, rock, R&B, and country. I am always open to listening to new genres or music groups. I also love watching movies, bad or good, and t.v. shows. I prefer dramas and sci-fi (Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Battlestar Galactica, etc) and late night talk shows (I am a Kimmel, Colbert and Conan fan). Reading is another hobby of mine. My favorite author is Oscar Wilde.
I love to travel. I have visited the territory of Puerto Rico and various countries in Europe but haven’t traveled to Central America. From my previous trip to Puerto Rico and spending a few days in Spain I was exposed to Spanish cultures. As a non-native Spanish speaker I am stoked to be able to use the language at a more personal level. I can’t wait to head to Nicaragua!
Hi my name is Danny Klein. I am from Cleveland, Ohio. I have two older sisters. I am currently a journalism major in the school of communication. I am very interested in protecting the environment and that is why I became interested in the Makengue project. I am really excited to go out of the country because Canada is currently the only other country I have been to.
Hey all, I’m Annika Barth and I’m super excited to get to know everyone I will be traveling with. I’m currently an intended literature major but I’m thinking about switching to environmental studies or international studies with a minor in creative writing. I also really love Spanish (which I’m super excited to practice in Makengue!) so hopefully I can pick up a minor in Spanish as well.
I love to travel and I’ve been to Costa Rica twice with my family. I really enjoyed the area so I’m excited to explore Nicaragua as well. In my spare time I like to read and write and go hiking so I’m looking forward to the hiking we’ll be doing in the rain forest. I don’t do very well in the heat, especially the humidity so I’m a little nervous about adapting to weather in the tropics.
My grandparents own a farm so I’ve grown up around animals and the outdoors. On the farm they have pigs, cows, too many chickens, ducks geese and turkeys. I spend most of my time in the garden and the greenhouse where I help my grandparents grow lettuce, kale, carrots, turnips, beets and radishes.
I live on a river called the Lamprey River and when my brother and I were kids (the two of us are twins) we spent most of our summer days exploring the river and the plants and animals that lived there. I have a dog, I used to have a cat and I’ve owned several fish at various times throughout my life. I love the outdoors and I can’t wait to spend a week in the rain forest.
Hey Hey Hey! My name is Amiana and I am from a medium sized town in northern New Jersey! I am a political science major with an interest in international studies! I am a nature freak and love to go hiking and camping but when it comes to environmental science I am not a fan because ewww science. I love animals and long walks on the beach or anywhere like the woods or mountains or wherever I can really just enjoy my surroundings. I love to go rock climbing and frog catching. I then name my frogs keep them for like five minutes then release them to be with their friends. I was lucky enough to grow up with two pet frogs but they were aquatic and I could never take them out… so sad.
I’m a hyper person and love to explore and climb trees and rocks and really enjoy the outdoors. I love the heat and am not afraid to break a sweat. But, I am probably the most un-athletic person and am super clumsy so while in Nicaragua I can probably guarantee several trips and falls a day but don’t worry, I will be ayyye-okaayyy! I’ve been to central america once and that was to Mexico, so Nicaragua will definitely be different. I can not wait to see a rainforest and the different animals and insects that inhabit it.
Hi guys, I am Omid Shirvani and am majoring in biology. I am from the New Jersey Shore. I am super interested in wildlife and loved my environmental science class I took last semester. I really appreciate nature and I am very excited to spend time in the rainforest. One of my favorite places to be is the beach. I love being in water as a whole. I love traveling around the world and I am eager to go to Nicaragua. I have been to India, Mexico, England, France, Aruba, and the Cayman Islands.
I feel that exploring the world is something everyone should try to do. Broadening your horizons and experiencing things for yourself is a great way to open your mind and find respect for our planet. Being a bio major that is interested in wildlife, I feel that Mackengue is the perfect opportunity for me to get experience out in the field; the research we are performing is relevant to my major and it should useful for me to know how to perform it as well as being able to put it on my resume.
The thing I am most excited about going to Nicaragua is just being in that environment. I have access to the beautiful forests, the river, and the nearby cities. I am so genuinely ecstatic to go on this trip and I hope you all are too.
My name is Stella Janecek, I’m from El Dorado Hills, California, a painfully small town in Northern California. I decided to come out to American University to pursue Business, Language and Culture Studies: Arabic. Which is pretty much a double major in Business and Arabic. This is my first experience with Arabic and I absolutely love it. I am actually thinking of changing my major to something more language oriented, since I can not have another major or minor with my current major, and I really want to learn another language. I am thinking about picking up Spanish or French, but have not decided which. With any luck I will be able to take summer classes and learn both, but only time will tell I suppose. In addition to these languages I also know Italian, which I speak with my mother and grandparents, who moved here from Italy some 30 years ago. It is easy to say that language is my passion. It is probably the only class I don’t want to fall asleep during (besides this one of course), and after I graduate I hope to continue pursuing even more languages and live in a foreign country (especially if Trump wins).
Beyond language, I am also extremely passionate about music. I sang in my high school’s choir for four years, and just joined AU’s chorus. I am a classically trained singer, so I love to sing classical arias and opera pieces, but it’s safe to say I can not do Taylor Swift any justice. I’m a sucker for a good harmony, and one of my favorite things to do is write harmonies with my sister when I’m home.
I’m so excited to spend time in Nicaragua and learn about the language and culture as well as the nature and wildlife of the area. I think that I’m most excited to just hike around in the rain forest!
Hey everyone! My name is Genesis Fuentes. Although I am originally from Chicago, Illinois, I am an International Studies major in the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C. In the future, I would love to focus on Education reform in Central and South America. In Fall of 2015, I was in the Latin America: History, Arts, and Literature University College program (LAHAL love). This course is what sparked my initial interest in Central and South America.
I am ecstatic to go to take part of the Makengue Project because I would love to have an introductory experience to the way education works in Latin America. I am also excited to interact with the people there and learn more about Nicaraguan culture. I also would love to dabble in making short films and posters to spread awareness of the reserve to others. I have only left North America once before to Colombia, but I am pumped to go to Nicaragua as traveling is also a passion of mine.
Hi! My name is Akai– nah, it’s not like the berry. I was born and raised in LA but moved around a little in between, and I spent my high school years in New York City, which I consider my home. I’ve always had a love for animals and filled my free time with nature documentaries, and as of this year I changed majors from International Service to Environmental Studies when I realized it was the major for me.
I learned a little Spanish in high school but I’m studying the language this semester so I’ll hopefully be a little more comfortable before the trip. I’ve travelled a lot I went to Brazil on vacation a couple of years ago and I loved the tropical environment and catching glimpses of monkeys on the street, but it definitely wasn’t the same level of remote rainforest that we’ll be experiencing in Nicaragua! That makes me a little nervous, but I’m very excited to spend my spring break at Makengue filming and seeing all the wildlife there is to see.
Hi, my name is Danielle Korzhenyak and I am from Detroit, MI. Though I am not from the heart of the city, the suburbs were a quaint area to grow up in. When I was 14, I moved to Los Angeles, CA, into the hustle and bustle of the city. Growing up in Michigan was a humbling experience, having very little exposure to the outside world, but Los Angeles made me open my eyes and see what beauty lies outside of your comfort zone. I am a freshman at American University studying Foreign Language & Media Communications. My specific foreign language is Spanish, a language I have been learning since I was 4 years old. Along with Spanish and English, I am fluent in Russian and French. Knowing these languages have given me such an abundance in opportunities for me to utilize them whether at home, school, or on the other side of the world! M major might seem a bit abstract, which it is at the moment, but that is because I am still planning which specific path I want to take. I have always had a deep interest in journalism, specific investigative journalism in different areas of the world. Because of this, I am interested in being a foreign correspondent, but, at the moment, it is far fetched.
Besides school related, I have the very strong view that I was born in the wrong decade. My fashion sense stems from the deep 90’s while my music taste ranges from 60’s Beatles to hardcore Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath rock ‘n roll. I love collecting vinyls which I will one day be able to play on my own vinyl player, but, for now, I will admire them from afar. I consider myself an adventure seeker, constantly looking for new adventures to experience. I love to hike and with Los Angeles having a wide variety of different trails with waterfalls and ocean views to hike, it made my love for the outdoors much deeper. I have been to a few countries outside of the United States, including Mexico and Spain, but plan to travel the entire world throughout my lifetime. One of my biggest aspirations is to backpack throughout most of Asia, including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and even stretching to the Philippines. While traveling, I love to seek out what locals of the area love to do rather than solely delving into tourist like attractions, but a blend of both is the best!
Hey everyone! I’m Aubrey and I’m majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. I’m from the PNW so the majority of my childhood was spent outside, camping, hiking and exploring the forests (and one rainforest!) of my native state, Washington. After a semester in D.C., I’m excited to go to Makengue and escape from the city for a little bit. I never realized how much I’d miss hikes and mud and all the other fun stuff that can be found in nature. I’m looking forward to getting to know the people and their stories in Makengue. I’ve always loved hearing and telling stories (thus the journalism major), and the rich culture in Nicaragua seems like a great place to gather stories. Film has been a major interest of mine for years and I’m excited to create a project that captures the beauty of Makengue and creates a visual aid to share with others. I think the Makengue Project presents me with an incredible opportunity to show the wildlife and natural environment of the Makengue Reserve in a beautiful way, with a fresh audiovisual perspective that my background in radio provides. I’m a wildlife enthusiast who can’t wait to search for alligators and listen for monkeys in the Makengue Reserve. Woohoo!
Hello everyone! My name is Cynthia Cristobal and I’m majoring in Sociology. I am considering double-majoring in Spanish as well. This semester I am taking two different courses that focus on learning about Latin America. One class is Spanish 353 which is taught in Spanish but we learn about the culture, geography, and demographics that make up Latin America. The second class is History 440 and it focuses on the relations between the United States and Latin America. Both classes will definitely be helpful in understanding the different aspects that make up Latin America and how that affects each individual country. Since we will be traveling to Nicaragua, this class is the icing on the cake!
I am extremely excited to go to Makengue in just two months! I look forward to traveling to a new place especially traveling to pueblitos (small, rural towns). Living in the city, we aren’t able to experience wildlife up close. Going to Makengue will allow me to get up close to wildlife in a rain forest which is a unique experience that is not attainable in the city. I am equally as excited to meet and talk to the people near Makengue. Being a native Spanish speaker, I can’t wait to hear a different accent and exchange stories. Hopefully we return with no bug bites!
¡Hola amigos! I’m Julia Tamez and I’m currently a freshman at American University. I am studying International Relations and will (hopefully) minor in Spanish and Economics. I also hope to get my Spanish Translation Certificate before I graduate! I participate in AU Democrats and am involved with the Texas Club on campus. I am also an intern for a congressional candidate and that commitment takes up most of my time!
I was born in Houston, Texas but was raised in San Antonio, Texas just three hours away! Both of my parents are from Monterrey, Mexico and they have exposed me to their culture and I learn more about Mexico and Spanish whenever I am home! I have an older brother and he is SUPER into sports therefore I am always really into certain sports, like basketball (GO SPURS GO), baseball, and football. I absolutely love animals and I have a dog named Freddie and he is the best.
I am so (out of this world) excited to travel to Makengue! I have traveled to Monterrey, Mexico a lot (as the majority of my family lives there) and I have spent a week exploring the beauty of Mexico City. One of my goals is to travel to every Latin American country before I’m 30 so this trip will help me accomplish said goal. I really enjoy Latin American culture (I took Latin American History, Art, and Literature last semester) and I am hoping to interact with the locals to learn more about their specific culture because Latin America is EXTREMELY diverse. Every region in Latin America is rich in traditions and culture so this trip gives me the opportunity to not only interact with my environment but to absorb the language, food, and everyday life of the locals.
I also look forward to learning more about the environment and how the owners of the Makengue planation have worked to conserve the rainforest and the ecosystems within it. Not only will this trip be educational, it will be such a unique bonding experience with the rest of my class and I cannot wait for it! I believe traveling with good friends makes any trip fun and memorable!
Hello fellow bloggers! My name is Jake Swanson and I am a freshman at American University. I am currently studying political science and environmental studies. My academic interests include climate change, environmental, and domestic policy. I am a member of AU Democrats and am currently working on a Pennsylvania congressional campaign.
I was born and raised in Connecticut, about 15 minutes outside of New Haven (Go Yale!). New Haven Apizza is the best type of pizza, don’t listen to people from New York or Chicago. I am an avid camper and boater, during the summer you can most likely find me on the water or in the woods.
My favorite food is pizza or macaroni and cheese. I love Boston sports (Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics)! My biggest pet peeve is when people don’t recycle or compost and I consider myself an everyday environmental activist.
In high school I was involved in Student Council, Model Congress, Model United Nations, Cross Country, the school newspaper, and I was also my high school’s mascot (Go Hornets!). I was also an intern for my current State Senator’s campaign in 2014!
I am excited to travel abroad for only the second time in my life (the first was to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos!). Additionally, Makengue will be a great way to apply my academic interests into hands-on research. I hope to learn more about the water quality and deforestation in Nicaragua and how it affects the locals.
I am Pooja. I am an International Studies major pursuing minors in Spanish and Psychology as well. The human brain fascinates me more than anything, therefore, I greatly enjoy reading neuroscience articles. My “academic” hobbies include watching TED Talks, reading, and learning languages (Spanish, Gujarati, and Hindi for now). Currently, I am reading Ubuntu by Desmond Tutu and When Elephants Cry. My other hobbies include playing outside, volunteering, dancing, and socializing. I was born in Baruch, Gujarat, India, but raised in Bensalem, PA. I have spent over 6 years working with children in multiple settings (YWCA, Jumpstart, Urban Adventure Squad Leader, etc) and it brings me joy like nothing else.
I am Chris, the keeper of the Makengue crew, along with Angela and Dorian. Having been once last year we have the unique perspective to help the current Makengue crew get the most out of this class and their visit to Nicaragua. I teach biology at AU and am an avid naturalist, bird watcher, hiker, and identifier of all things natural. I am excited to do this all again at Makengue in 2015. I have a wife and two adopted Chinese daughters (11 and 13) who are all jealous that I get to go to Nicaragua again, but I promise to take them all there sometime. I am a native born Australian but I also have British and US citizenship. I have traveled extensively in the world, but still have to get to the continents of Antarctica and Africa. I have previously visited and birded in Costa Rica, Panama and Belize in Central America and so have already seen much of the wildlife we will encounter on our trip. I hope I can enthuse all of the current Makengue crew with my contagious love of all things wild, but also get them to appreciate how fragile the natural world is, and instill in them an ethos of stewardship, that is essential for humanity’s survival. Start packing, and start getting excited!!!
Hello! My name is Nick Zachar, and I am stoked to be the new Graduate Assistant for the Makengue class! I am currently finishing up my Masters in Fine Arts in Film and Electronic Media at American University. My passion for the natural world has led me to pursue a career in environmental filmmaking, and I am so excited to help the students out with their projects this semester. I can’t wait to go back to Central America. I will specifically help the students interested in communications and filmmaking, but my background in Biology will allow me to hopefully help them in other areas as well. Stay tuned for updates on this year’s projects!
The Makengue Project 